Yes, you have stated something obvious. If a woman thinks you are cheap it's not good, even though whether someone is cheap or just "economical" is very subjective though.
Like I said before, a woman can be interested in a man if he either is sexually attractive to her and a relationship that results is sexually stimulating and satisfying, or if she derives (or wants to derive) some kind of a benefit from the association. If a woman is genuinely interested in a man, she will never ask him for any money or gifts, and in fact it's very possible that she will be generous herself.
So, a man either has to take care of himself physically and know how to satisfy a woman (which often results in being able to attract and hold on to women with little financial investment), or just forget about being cheap. There is an option C - date women who are generally overlooked by men who follow the two strategies mentioned above: overweight, old, or otherwise unattractive.